So Far Away
by SeverusHermioneForever
Summary: He's America's rising star and she's the patient girlfriend back home. AU. Belle/Rumpelstiltskin.


**Title: **So Far Away

**Pairings: **Belle/Mr. Gold

**Summary: **He's America's rising star and she's the patient girlfriend back home. AU. Belle/Rumpelstiltskin.

* * *

Belle stepped out of the shower with a towel which was wrapped securely around her body and a brightly coloured towel in her hair when she heard thehurried _rat-a-tap-tap _sound on her front door.

She quickly threw on a blue tank top and black high waisted shorts and was about to take the towel out of her hair when the doorbell rang again so she sighed, thinking of who could possibly want to see her this badly and at this hour and her mind drifted over to her boyfriend but she knew he was still out working in the abroad.

She walked down the stairs and peered through the windows next to the door and her heart skipped a beat as the first thing she saw was a pair of dark brown eyes staring right back at her.

_Mr. Gold. _

She opened the door hurriedly and swung it right open and let out a wide smile. "Hello." She said breathlessly. "I didn't realize you were back so soon."

Mr. Gold sent her a small smile, leaning on his cane as his eyes trailed up and down her body as she stepped aside to let him in before locking the door behind him.

"Wanted to surprise you." He admitted before handing her a bunch of bright cherry-red roses. "Was going to work longer but I was getting slightly homesick dearie."

She raised an eyebrow at him, putting the roses in an empty jar beside her. "Oh yeah? You never get homesick though."

He shook his head. "Wasn't talking about _home. _Was talking about you."

Her breath got caught in her throat. Gods, she hadn't realized how much she missed him. "Can you actually be homesick for a person?" She wondered, biting her bottom lip.

Mr. Gold or to her, Robert, was Storybrooke rising star. He was literally talented in nearly everything. He was a great actor, singer and with the help of Belle, he had several books published. Mainly to do with fairytale characters as Robert had a huge fascination with them, much to Belle's amusement.

They met whilst they were in college and at first, they both hated each other hated being in the same room as each other but as time grew they became fast friends. However, their friends knew that there something more to the pair of them even if they both did not see it themselves. Ruby, Belle's best friend always tried to make them go out on a double date with her boyfriend Whale, but it never worked.

But they both desired each other even if they couldn't read between the lines.

Then after college, Robert got an agent after making a deal or two with some of his contacts and before he knew it, he was moving out of their small town to star in a Oscar winning movie and at first, Belle was angry at him for moving. She was angry about the fact that he was leaving her in this small little town alone but after a while, she supported him.

The first year after finishing college was dreadful for Belle. She saw less of Robert as she began to work in the local library and he was growing more famous with each passing day. Their emails and phone calls got frequently shorter but Bella knew that Mr. Gold was not very talkative on the phone but still in those years she longed to hear his voice for at least more than thirty minutes. Later that year, the manager of the library died of a heart failure and Belle quickly took over as the manager.

Now he was standing in her hall-way with his usual black-suit and tie and his usual cane that he always carried about with him as though he never moved at all. As if the past few years of her stomach doing somersaults and her heart beating furiously whenever she saw a picture of him on the computer or television or whenever she heard his voice on the radio as he sang a few songs was for nothing.

"I'm afraid dearie the term you are looking for there is missing." He flicked his bronze coloured hair out of his eyes and she felt a lump forming in the back of her throat and she found it difficult to swallow. "Clearly it looks like you have missed me."

She nodded quickly. "I have missed you. More than anything."

"As have I dearie." He grunted as he moved quickly to the front room, leaning on his cane heavily.

"Be careful with your leg! We don't want your leg to get any worse for those actresses you work with and those fangirls of yours!" She gasped. She remembered the day Robert damaged his leg. It was in a horse accident after a tractor had driven past them quickly and the horse spooked and ran into the sides of the tractor which caused Robert's legs to stick into the metal frame at the rear end. It was the most terrifying experience for the both of them, fearing that Robert may never be able to walk again. But luckily, Whale's father managed to save him.

"I don't care about them. None of them are you. _Will _never be you and most of all, will never replace you." He sat himself down on the couch, putting his cane to the side.

"You don't mean that." She sounded unsure and sat next to him, looking at her hands instead of his face.

"Why wouldn't I mean that? My feelings for someone special don't just change in a few years dearie."

"They can." She argued, somehow knowing that Mr. Gold was right.

He shook his head. "Mine don't. I'm not the one for feelings Belle and you should know that better than anyone. My feelings for you took a lot of work and they are not going anywhere at the moment." He said firmly.

She took the towel out of her hair and gave her wet hair a rub before putting the towel down. Why was she pushing him away when she longed to be near him for so long? But of course, Belle knew the answer to that and she hated to admit it. Even to herself. "It wouldn't be fair for me to put you down."

He looked at her, slightly surprised. "Why would you say such a thing?" She heard the hurt in his voice and she looked slightly ashamed and looked away.

He lifts her head up by the chin with his fingertips and stroked the side of her face and she closed his eyes, savouring his touch as he moved his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Do you know your feelings for me?"

She opened her eyes. "My feelings for you haven't changed. They're still there, always."

He smiled at her and Belle noticed it was a true smile. Robert was not the one for emotions and when he actually showed them, especially his smiles, she memorized each and everyone of his smiles and treasured them. They leaned in closer and she smiled widely as his lips traced over hers and his fingers were tangled in her wet and knotty hair whilst she grabbed his smart black jacket firmly in her fingers and kissed him as though it was going to be their last kiss.

Belle hadn't realized just how much she has missed this man.

* * *

They were sitting in her bed with Belle curled into his side and him stroking her hair. Her head resting against his chest and she listened to the gentle rhythm of his heart and she hummed along with the sound.

"I never got the chance to tell you." Gold spoke, breaking the peaceful silence that hung around the room.

She lifted her head off his chest and looked at him. "Tell me what?"

"I'm working on a new project soon." She held her breath, not believing his words. He can't go, not so soon. "I'm writing a book for a while and I want you to help me write it. I've got all the planning and details done but that's not the best thing."

"What's the best thing?"

"It's being done locally." She sat up quickly, the bed sheet falling off her.

"The book is being done locally?" She repeated, wanting to make sure. "You want me to help you write a book here in our small town?"

"Yes dearie."

She laughed happily and threw her arms around him before she squeezed him tightly, afraid of letting him go and pressed her body against his.

They had a lot of catching up and making out sessions to do.


End file.
